Circuit continuing device



July 31, 192s.

H. A, DoUGLAs unicum CONTINUING DEVICE Filed Nv. 11,' 19H27 PatentedJuly 3l, 1928.

UNITED STATES HARRY A. DOUGLAS, 0F BRON SQN, MICHIGAN. ,p

CIRCUIT CONTINUING DEVICE.

Application led November 17, 1927. Serial No. 233,876.

My invention relates to circuit continuing devices and has a number ofobjects and advantages in View The device of my invention `is inclusiveof a spring barrel, a plunger contact projecting through an openingformed through.

an end of the spring cbarrel, spring means within said spring barrel forpressing said plunger contact outwardly to yieldingly maintain it inplace, and a basket or carrier receivin said spring barrel and contactlengthwise thereof, the end of the basket adjacent the outer end of saidcontact being formed with a plug receivingsocket that is angular to saidspring barrel and into `whose interior the outer end of the plungercontact extends to be engageable by a plug inserted within said socket.g

My invention, in one of its embodiments, is particularly adapted for useas ajunction device'for electrically and mechanically connecting circuitwires and when the lnven- Y tion is embodied for such use, the spring asthey ma barrel has an opening through each of its ends and there is aplunger contact projecting through each opening, while the basket orcarrier is formed with sockets at its ends or otherwise provided withsockets which are abreast and are open at 'their nearest sides, theouter ends of the plunger contacts being spring pressed into theinteriors of said sockets in position to be engageable bywire terminalplugs inserted within said sockets. The basket desirablyA has an earformation which laps the spring barrel and holds it against the bottomof the basket. The basket is also .desirably provided with a mountingstem which, when applied to a l mounting, serves to hold the ends of thebasket t1 htly upon such mounting to prevent the asket from being turnedfrom the position selected therefor.

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with theaccompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustratingtwoV circuit continuing devices be employed for placing an automobileorn in circuit; Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the circuit continuingdevices shown in Fig. 1, connecting plugs being shown in section in oneof these devices, the plugs being absent in the other device; Fig. 3 isa sectional view o n line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a sectional viewon line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Theinvention will be irst more particularly described in connection withFigs. 2, 3 and 4. The basket is preferably formed of sheet metal and isso shaped as to provide sockets 1 and 2 at its ends and which socketsare sufficiently spaced apart to receive a metal spring barrel 3therebetween, this barrel having metallic plunger contacts 4 and 5projecting through the ends thereof and being arranged, together withthese contacts, along the bottom of the basket. Ears 6 are struck fromlthe sides of the basket and lap the barrel and serve to hold the barreltightly lagainst the bottom of the basket. `The sockets 1 and 2 whichare thus abreast and laterally spaced apart, have lateral openings 7 and8 through their nearest sides. The metallic coiled spring 9 is placedbetween the contacts 4 and 5 and presses the outer ends of thesecontacts through the contiguous openingsin thev in place to bring themand the wires of which they constitute terminals into electricalconnection.

The basket is provided `with a mounting stem` 1 3` which is preferablyseparately formed therefrom and which passes through the bottom of thebasket and through a mounting block 14, the mounting stem beingpreferably in the form of a rivet which is riveted against the interiorsurface of the basket bottoml and against the mounting block. Theportion 15 of the basket that is adjacent the stem is, before the basketis mounted, preferably not as deep as the ends of the basket, the basketportion 1 5 being forced against the mounting block 14 when the steml3..is riveted in place whereby the bottom portions 16 of the .basketwhich are desirably coaxial, are tightly held against the mounting block14 whereby the basket is prevented from being turned.

To prevent short circuiting, a stri of 1nsulation 17 may he placed onthe ackV of the block 14. The mounting block 14, in

automobile practice,` is mounted either on the chassis or on the body sothat the various circuit wires may be quickly snapped into electricaland mechanical assembly, as illustrated in Fig. 1, for example.

Changes may be made without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a circuit continuing device, the combination with a spring barrelhaving openings through its ends; of plunger contacts projecting throu hsaid openings; spring means within sai spring barrel for pressing saidplunger contacts outwardly to yieldingly maintain them in place; and abasket receiving said spring barrel and contacts lengthwise thereof andhaving an ear formation that la s and holds the barrel in place the endsofP the basket being formed with plug receiving sockets that are angularto said spring barrel and into whose interiors the outer ends of theplunger contacts respectively adjacent thereto extend to be engageableby plugs inserted within said sockets.

2. In a circuit continuing device, the combination with a spring barrelhaving openings through its ends; of plunger contacts projecting throughsaid openings; spring means within said spring barrel for pressing saidplunger contacts outwardly to yieldingly maintain them in place; and abasket receiving said spring barrel and contacts lengthwise thereof, theends of the basket being formed with plug receiving sockets that areangular to said spring barrel and into whose interiors the outer ends ofthe plunger contacts respectively adjacent vthereto extend to beengageable by plugs inserted within said sockets.

3. In a circuit continuing device, the combination with a spring barrel;of a plunger contact projecting through an opening formed through an endof the spring barrel; spring means within said spring barrel forpressing said plunger contact outwardly to yieldingly maintain it inplace; and a basket receiving said spring barrel and contact lengthwisethereof and havin an ear formation that la s and holds the arrel inplace, the end o lthe basket adjacent the outei end of said Contactbeing formed into a plug receiving socket that is angular to said springbarrel and into whose interior the outer end of the plunger contactextends to be engageable by a plug inserted within said socket.

4. In a circuit continuing device, the combination with a spring barrel;of a plunger contact projecting through an opening formed through an endof the spring barrel; spring means within said spring barrel forpressing said plunger contact outwardly to yieldingly maintain it inplace; and a basket receiving said spring barrel and contact lengthwisethereof, the end of the basket adjacent the outer end of said contactbeing formed into a plug receiving socket-that is angular to saidspringbairel and into whose interior the outer end of the plungercontact extends to be engageable by a plug inserted within said socket.

5. In a circuit continuing device, the combination with a spring barrelhaving openings through its ends; of plunger contacts projecting throughsaid openings; spring means within said spring barrel for pressing saidplunger contacts outwardly to yieldingly maintain them in place; abasket receiving said spring barrel and contacts lengthwise thereof andhaving an ear formation that laps and holds the barrel in place, theends of the basket being formed with plug receiving sockets that are anlar to said spring barrel and into whose interiors the outer ends of theplunger contacts respectively adjacent thereto extend to be engageableby plugs inserted within said sockets; a mounting stem upon andprojecting outwardly from the bottom of the basket; and a mounting towhich said stem is secured and upon which the stem tightly holds thebottom of the basket at the end of the basket.

6. In a circuit continuing device, the combination with a spring barrelhaving openings through its ends; of plunger contacts projecting throughsaid openings; spring means within said spring barrel for pressing saidplunger contacts outwardly to yieldingly maintain them in place; abasket receiving said spring barrel and contacts lengthwise thereof, theends of the basket being formed with plug receiving sockets that areangular to said spring barrel and into whose interiors the outer ends ofthe plunger contacts respectively adjacent thereto extend to be engageable by .plugs inserted within said sockets; a mounting stem uponand projecting outwardly from the bottom of the basket; and a mountingto which said stem is secured and upon which the stem tightly holds thebottom of the basket at the ends of the basket.

7. In a circuit continuing device, the combination with a spring barrel;of a plunger contact projecting through an o ening formed through an endof the spring arrel; spring means within said spring barrel for pressingsaid lunger contact outwardly to yieldingly maintain it in place; abasket receiving said sprin barrel and contact lengthwise thereof andhaving an ear formation that laps and holds the barrel in place, the end'of the basket adjacent the outer end of said contact being formed intoa plu receiving socket that is angular to sai spring barrel and intowhose interior the outer end of the plunger contact extends to beengageable by a plug inserted within i'in said socket; a mount' stemupon and projecting outwardly from the bottom of the jacent the outerend of said contact being formed into a plug receiving socket that isangular to said sprln barrel and into whose interior the outer en of theplunger Contact extends to be engageable by a plug inserted 20 withinsaid socket; a mounting stem upon and projecting outwardly from thebottom of the basket; and a mounting to which said stem is secured andupon which the stem tightly holds the bottom of the basket at an 25 endof the basket.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

